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Two-time Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi, Irans best-known director, was at the Zurich Film Festival last September when protests following the death of Mahsa Amini erupted in his home country.

Since then, the auteur of A Separation, The Salesman and A Hero has not returned to Iran. Hes been working on a new film in Los Angeles and Europe. Interestingly, he says he plans to go back to his country before he shoots this film, even though he is not 100% sure they will let him out again. Its clearly a risk that the enigmatic Farhadi is willing to take.

Farhadi was in Turin on Monday to give a masterclass at Italys National Museum of Cinema, where he also received a lifetime achievement award. In a rare interview, he took questions via e-mail from Variety.

Where are you living these days? I read that you are working on your next movie in Los Angeles. Can you confirm?

These days, Im frequently traveling between Europe and the U.S. Ive been busy with research and writing a script since last year, which I will continue to do for a few months. It is still too soon to announce the details of the project. The only thing I can say is I spend all my time writing.

Have you relocated to the U.S.?

Im in the U.S. for my new project, which doesnt mean Ive moved there.Like [with] other films I have made in France [The Past] and Spain [Everybody Knows], I spent some time in those countries for the sake of the projects.

You have made several very outspoken statements against the Iranian government and the brutality with which it is punishing expressions of dissent. Do you have anything to add to those statements in the wake of the alleged poisoning of schoolgirls and cameras being put in public places to identify women not wearing a hijab?

What I can add to what I have already said is: The situation will not return to how it was before. And that there is great hope in what happened. And I believe in this extraordinary uprising that occurred in Iran in the last few months. Because, at its core, there is a tremendous humane and legitimate desire.

Do you think your outcry against police brutality in Iran and that of thousands, if not millions, of other protesters is being heard?

I believe that people, especially the new generation, are extremely powerful. They know what their goal is and exactly what they want. I find this uprising very promising, and I believe in it.

Do you think Iran has now reached a turning point? Are the protests so strong that there is no turning back?

Nothing has stopped. Iranian people are continuing to pursue their rightful and legitimate demands, and it is their right. I dont feel that this process has ever stopped. And I am sure this struggle will continue because it is a humane demand, and there is excellent solidarity around the issue. The result will be rewarding.

What I can say with certainty is that these voices were heard by people outside of Iran who followed the news and created solidarity between Iranians and non-Iranians outside of Iran and Iranians within the country, which is invaluable. It was the first time we could see this level of solidarity. Thus, it was very encouraging.

I do not believe you have returned to Iran since your first public statement against the killing of Mahsa Amini. Would you like to return to your country?

The reason I was outside Iran during this time is because of a project that was planned in advance, and I am sure when the films script is finished and the research is done, I will return [to Iran] until the pre-production starts. Then I will go back to the films location, where it is going to be shot.

Are you now banned from making movies in Iran?

Im not officially aware of being banned from working in Iran, but I have heard it unofficially. Moreover, I know that Im officially banned from trading. And again, unofficially, I have heard that I am banned from leaving Iran.

See the article here:
Asghar Farhadi Talks Uprising in Iran: The Result Will Be Rewarding - Variety

Iran's supreme leader on Tuesday ruled out the holding of popular referendums on state policies.

Iran faced calls for a referendum on the Islamic Republic itself during anti-government protests last year, and a moderate former president recently suggested such votes should be held to decide major policies as a way of reducing divisions.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say over such policies, rejected the idea when asked about it during a meeting with university students.

"Where in the world is this done? Is it possible to hold a referendum for various issues of the country?" he asked. "For any single issue, the country would be engaged in debate and arguments and polarization for six months, so that a referendum can be held on that issue."

He appeared to be referring to recent remarks by former President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate, who had suggested holding referendums on domestic and foreign policies.

Iran holds regular presidential and parliamentary elections overseen by clerical bodies that vet candidates. Under the constitution, a referendum is only possible if two-thirds of parliament votes for it and a 12-member constitutional body half of whom are appointed by the supreme leader approves.

Iran saw months of nationwide anti-government protests sparked by the death in September of a 22-year-old woman who was detained by the morality police for allegedly violating the country's strict Islamic dress code. The protests rapidly escalated into calls for the overthrow of the ruling clerics, marking a major challenge to their four-decade rule.

The protests died down earlier this year amid a violent crackdown by authorities, though there are lingering signs of discontent.

Iran held referendums to establish an Islamic Republic and approve a new constitution shortly after the 1979 revolution. It held another referendum in the late 1980s to amend the constitution.

Visit link:
Iran's Top Leader Rules Out Referendums on Divisive Issues - Voice of America - VOA News

Five American universities are working with Iranian bodies sanctioned by the US and the EU, according to watchdog United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI).

The nonprofit organization dedicated to monitoring threats from the Islamic Republic wrote to Virginia Tech University, University of Washington, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Clarkson University, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in December.

UANI claimed employees and students at these institutions worked on technical research with Iranian entities sanctioned by Western governments,reported Washington Examiner on Monday.

UANI reviewed academic journals featuring papers co-authored by students, researchers, or faculty members along with staff from the Iranian Aerospace Research Institute, the Iranian University of Science and Technology, and Sharif University of Technology.

UL Lafayette, Virginia Tech, Worcester Polytechnic, and Clarkson University all told the Washington Examiner their actions were legal and did not sidestep any federal sanctions. However, Clarkson University and the University of Washington said they were investigating the matter.

UANI Research Director Daniel Roth told the Washington Examiner that the appearance of cooperation between the schools and Iranian institutions was a "big red flag."

While Roth acknowledged that working with sanctioned Iranian institutions might be illegal, he also recognized that the universities might have a valid explanation.

The sanctions on Iranian Universities are part of an effort to pressure the Iranian regime to end its nuclear weapons program and other activities that are seen as a threat to global security.

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Watchdog Accuses US Schools Of Ties With Sanctioned Iranian Entities -

Two international business organizations pleaded guilty and were sentenced today in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for their participation in a criminal conspiracy to violate U.S. export laws and sanctions by sending U.S.-origin goods to Iran.

Taiwan business organization DES International Co. Ltd. (DES), and Brunei business organization Soltech Industry Co. Ltd. (Soltech) each pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations. The two companies were each sentenced to pay a fine of $83,769, which is three times the value of the goods unlawfully exported to Iran, and to serve a five-year term of corporate probation. The sentences were issued by U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb.

The defendant companies, which shared common directors and employees, have pled guilty to obtaining U.S. export-controlled goods for the benefit of the government of Iran and concealing the US origin of those good to facilitate their illicit transfer, said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Departments National Security Division. Today we are holding them accountable for violating our laws at the expense of U.S. national security.

These criminal convictions demonstrate that we will pursue any individual or organization, wherever located, that would violate our sanctions against Iran and thereby threaten our national security, said U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia.

HSI will continue to work with our federal and international law enforcement partners to ensure offenders who are violating U.S. export laws and sanctions are brought to justice, said Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of HSI San Antonio. We will remain steadfast in our commitment to protect our homeland from all adversaries.

The defendants in this case took actions that placed profit and economic gain above U.S. national security and global stability, said Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. Todays sentencing demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the FBI, U.S. Attorneys Office, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defence and Department of Commerce (DOC) to hold accountable anyone who would threaten U.S. national security and the safety of the American people.

Keeping our nation's sensitive technologies out of the hands of our adversaries is one of our highest priorities, said Special Agent in Charge Michael Mentavlos of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southwest Field Office. DCIS, the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General and our federal partners are committed to identifying and holding accountable those that seek to evade U.S. export enforcement laws, putting our war fighters at risk.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)s aggressive enforcement of the Export Administration Regulations plays a critical role in protecting U.S. national security, said Special Agent in Charge Trey McClish of the DOC. In this instance, our partnership with HSI, DCIS, FBI and the U.S. AttorneysOffice sendsthemessage that violating U.S. export control rules on Iran will not be tolerated.

According to the plea agreement documents, DES and Soltech, which were affiliatd with one another by virtue of common directors, employees and customers, both procured goods from the United States for the benefit of Iranian government entities and business organizations. In particular, a sales agent for both DES and Soltech helped an Iranian research center obtain U.S. goods without a license from the Department of the Treasury. These goods included a power amplifier designed for use in electromechanical devices as well as cybersecurity software. The companies sales agent took steps to conceal the U.S. origin of the goods, including by removing serial number stickers with the phrase Made in USA from packages, and by causing the cybersecurity software to be downloaded onto a computer outside of Iran. In addition, the sales agent shared developments regarding this illegal conduct with other employees and directors of DES and Soltech. An arrest warrant issued for the sales agent has not yet been executed.

The FBI San Antonio Field Office, HSI, DCIS and DOC investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Friedman for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Christopher M. Rigali of the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

Original post:
International Business Organizations Convicted of Criminal ... - Department of Justice

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Its rarely easy to discuss politics calmly as a British lawyer. Its even harder as a child of Iranian immigrants.

The news from Iran over the last few months has been alarming. Over 15,000 protesters calling for more basic freedoms for women have been arrested, and security forces are estimated to have killed at least 537 people. State-directed torture and sexual abuse has become routine. Meanwhile, schoolgirls across the country face horrifying chemical attacks without much support from the government.

So far this has elicited an ineffectual response from Western governments. Condemnation and sloganeering has been futile. Iranians and human rights activists abroad are right to feel frustrated by this state of affairs, but theres a lot we can do still do.

International law grants rights to all people regardless of where they live, not just to citizens of certain countries, said the former head of the UN, Kofi Annan. As lawyers concerned about global human rights, its time we put that into practice.

Today, a group of lawyers, academics, journalists and activists, some of Iranian heritage, will join together to launch a new initiative to get justice for human rights abuses in Iran. We aim to build a global group of experts to help document and analyse the human rights abuses in Iran, with a view to securing justice for the victims in international courts.

We want to put the Iranian government on notice. It can choose to dismiss Western government actions as posturing and interference, but it cannot take the same attitude when its own people have submitted evidence of brutal human rights violations to independent bodies.

The recent and unprecedented arrest warrant issued for Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court judges was an example of how international law can be pushed beyond what was previously thought possible. In our modern world, where citizens can more easily record and share evidence of state abuse, it set an important marker. Expect to see a lot more such arrest warrants.

The beauty of international law is that much of it is newly established. That makes it fertile territory for creating new precedents. We believe that monitoring and documenting human rights violations in Iran and preparing that evidence so it can stand up in court, is a powerful way to hold the regime to account. Those guilty should have evidence presented against them at international courts.

In November 2022 the United Nations Human Rights Council decided to establish an independent international fact-finding mission to thoroughly and independently investigate alleged human rights violations in Iran. It has also invited groups and organisations to submit evidence towards that mandate. We believe this is an excellent starting point.

We also believe that by using the full force of the law alongside a globally connected community of academics, politicians and the media, we can be a force to hold those abusing their power to account.

The people of Iran must know that someone out there is documenting their plight and bringing it, in all its harrowing detail, to the international stage. Perhaps one day they will finally get the justice they deserve.

Alicia Alinia is global chief operating officer at Pogust Goodhead

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Opinion: How we'll take Iran to court for crimes against women - The Independent